Bentley back into top gear

Bentley has played just six minutes of Premier League football for Tottenham this season after being frozen out by his manager.[>

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And he’s made headlines for all the wrong reasons, earning a drink-drive ban for crashing his car on a boozy night out.[>

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But the man once hailed as the next ­David Beckham looked back to his best last night as he ran the Everton defence ragged.[>

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He set up Tom Huddlestone’s opening goal on 31 minutes and gave the visitors the runaround on the right wing.[>

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Both these teams were losing finalists in the cups last season – Everton in the FA Cup and Spurs in this competition.[>

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But they were both struggling with a string of injuries going into this tie, the first time they had ever met in the League Cup.[>

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It was Everton’s third game in six days and so bad were their problems that they tried to get this game re-arranged.[>

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The decision not to allow that to happen was branded a “disgrace” by injured ­Toffees skipper Phil Neville in the build-up.[>

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Redknapp moaned that the loss of Aaron Lennon, Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate to injury was a big blow to his side.[>

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And with Jermain Defoe suspended and Nico Kranjcar cup-tied, Tottenham were hardly at full strength either.[>

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Heurelho Gomes was still between the sticks though – and he had to be alert to stop Everton grabbing the lead in the fifth minute.[>

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Marouane Fellaini found Louis Saha with a flick-on and the Frenchman ­swivelled in the box to force Gomes into an acrobatic stop. The Merseysiders had ­conceded eight goals in two games going into the match and been given a public dressing-down by their manager.[>

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But they did not start like a team lacking in confidence, with Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling trying their luck from long range.[>

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Lucas Neill’s clearance struck Gareth Bale and fell kindly to Roman ­Pavlyuchenko, but he missed the target with only the keeper to beat.[>

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And he failed to convert a dangerous low cross from overlapping full-back Alan ­Hutton at the near post moments later.[>

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Everton were starting to look shaky at the back and were lucky to escape an ­almighty scare after a Sylvain Distin clanger. He twice failed to clear a bread and ­butter cross in comedy fashion – but Robbie Keane could only hit the post with his ­volley.[>

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Spurs didn’t have to long to wait before taking the lead though, with Bentley the architect down the right.[>

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His deep cross evaded Neill and Johnny Heitinga, with Huddlestone smashing it into the top corner from eight yards out.[>

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Suddenly the visitors were wobbling, with all the uncertainties of their defeats to Bolton and Benfica starting to emerge.[>

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And Bentley whistled a vicious free-kick just past the far post from 25 yards out as Tottenham turned the screw.[>

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He was causing so many problems that Everton switched makeshift left-back Tony Hibbert to the right so that Neill could try and contain him.[>

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But it looked all over when Distin brought down Keane and referee Lee Mason pointed to the spot in the 57th minute.[>

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Howard saved Keane’s spot-kick – but after an ­almighty scramble he was powerless when the striker followed it up to smash it into the roof of the net.[>